1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an integrated circuit arrangement containing a Shockley diode (four-region diode) or a thyristor.
2. Description of Related Art
Fundamentally different technological considerations apply to integrated components arranged in integrated circuit arrangements in comparison with individual components. Thus, in an integrated circuit arrangement, all the connections should be situated on one side of the substrate. This applies in particular to an anode connection contact-connected to the anode region and to a cathode connection contact-connected to the cathode region. If one inner region or both inner regions is or are likewise contact-connected, then a thyristor arises from the Shockley diode. In this case, too, connections which make contact with the inner region or the inner regions should be situated on the same area as the anode connection and the cathode connection.
The thyristor used in an integrated circuit arrangement often serves as an ESD protection element (electrostatic discharge), that is to say for protection against an overvoltage which exceeds the operating voltage for example by at least 10 percent or by at least 20 percent, or for protection against an overcurrent which exceeds the operating current by at least one order of magnitude. Without the ESD protection element, the integrated circuit arrangement would be destroyed in the ESD case, in particular by destruction of one of its transistors. However, construction of these integrated circuit arrangements are often complex, creating the need for a more simplified construction.